A Day Later
by broadwayJulie
Summary: What if the Captain had waited a day after ending his engagement with the Baroness instead of seeking Maria out the same night?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music but I borrowed lines/characters/plot points from the film, etc._

A plot twist, had the Captain decided to wait a day instead of seeking out Maria the night he ended his engagement with the Baroness.

**Chapter 1**

"And somewhere out there is a young lady who, I think, will never be a nun." Georg's eyes widened in shock; had she known all along? Were all the other inhabitants of the villa aware of his attraction toward the governess? He began to speak but was interrupted by Elsa's "Auf Wiedersehen, darling" before she turned and swept back into the house.

Georg paused a moment on the veranda. Was this true? He leaned his head against the cool marble of the railing, feeling the summer breeze passing over him. Even if it were true, if Maria echoed his feelings, he was in no way prepared to deal with it tonight. Especially not with Elsa still in the house. He may not love her, but he at least owed her some semblance of respect. Not tonight. Tomorrow he would drive Elsa into town to the train station, and run some errands. _Now_, he thought, _what is the name of that jeweler?_

"

Maria kept the children outside the next day under the pretense that the days would soon turn cold and the fresh air would do them well. In actuality, she was doing everything in her power to avoid the Captain. Dinner the previous night had been almost physically painful; Maria tried to focus on her food and the stories the children were telling her, but her bubble was often burst with a sharp, high trill of laughter from the Baroness. Maria would turn only to see the Baroness place her hand in the Captain's, and have him return the gesture with equal affection. She wanted to scream and cry and do nothing, all at once. She retired to bed earlier than usual, but stayed awake most of the night. Not crying, simply staring out the window, wondering when God would open a window for her.

_The summer's almost over and then I'll have to leave the children, whether I want to or not_ she thought, watching them run screaming and laughing through the grounds. _So I'll stay for them. I can manage to avoid the Captain for only a few more weeks._ Maria looked up and realized the sun was falling lower in the sky.

"Children! Dinner will be soon. Please go inside and wash up."

"Awwwww," "But Fraulein Maria!," and "Five more minutes?" were the overwhelming responses.

"Now, I've been later to dinner enough to know that your father does not approve of tardiness. Come on! Inside!" she called, waving them in.

"

After making sure that the children were preparing themselves for dinner, Maria went to her own room to change. _I really don't think I have anything suitable_ she thought, smirking sadly as she remembered the last time she had said those words. It remained true now, as well. Maria flung open her closet doors, sure that her nice dresses were waiting to be washed-.

There is was. The blue dress. The sight of it brought back a flood of memories: the Captain's steely blue eyes looking into her own as he played Eidelweiss, the Baroness holding the dress as she said, casually "there's nothing more irresistible to a man than a woman who's in love with him." The dress that was the color of the sky when she returned to the Villa, her heart light and hopes high. And with that, Maria released all the pent up emotions she had since learning of the Captain's engagement. She threw herself on the bed and wept.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music but I borrowed lines/characters/plot points from the film, etc._

**Chapter 2**

Some while later, Maria sat on her bed, her eyes red and heart aching. The clock read 10 minutes until 6. The Captain was going to marry the Baroness. She would see them together, at dinner, in 10 minutes. Maria felt drained; she had no more tears left to cry. _I can't go to dinner tonight. I can't see them together. I'll skip every meal I have left here if it means never seeing them together again_. With resignation, she pushed herself off the bed and checked her reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall. Her eyes were puffy, her hair rumpled. Going into the bathroom, Maria splashed her face with cold water and ran a brush through her hair. _At least I can try to look better than I feel she thought_, rather despondently. _I'll tell the Captain I'm feeling ill and won't be able to attend dinner, not that he'd care, he'll be too busy staring dreamy-eyed at the Baroness._ She left her room and walked down the hall to the Captain's office, where she knew he would be, finishing up some work before dining. She knocked lightly at the partially opened door. The Captain glanced up. If he noticed her disheveled appearance, his face did not reflect it. He remained as stoic as ever.

"Oh, yes, come in fraulein."

"Um Captain, sir," she began. She sounded weak, timid. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well; I won't be able to attend dinner."

"Fraulein, I have to ask you to be at dinner. I have an important announcement that I do not want you to miss." And she wouldn't want to miss it either, if she knew what it was.

"Captain, I'm sorry, but I am really feeling quite ill."

"Ah, I see," he said, a hint of irony in his voice, "so you fell ill sometime in the last half hour, after I saw you running and singing with the children?" Maria blushed and lowered her head. _Ah-ha!_ Georg thought, _I've caught her now._

"I... well I..."

"You will be present at the dinner table this evening, Fraulein." The Captain looked back down to his papers, every note of his statement declaring the conversation over.

"I will not, Captain." Her tone made the Captain's head jerk upright. Her blue eyes, normally so light and open, were set. Angry. He'd only seen her look like this once before - after the lake incident, when she chastised him for not knowing his own children. _Fine, if it's fight she wants, it is a fight she will receive._

"Fraulein, dinner will be served in less than 10 minutes and you will be in attendance" the Captain shot back.

"Captain, you may have forgotten, but I am an independent adult, and you cannot treat me like one of your children. Whether or not I am in attendance at dinner is entirely up to me -." The Captain stood up from his chair and walked around the desk, seething.

"You may be an independent adult, Fraulein," he mocked, "but you are my employee, and as such -"

"So fire me! Tell me to _pack my bags and return to the Abby at once!_" She screamed, throwing his own words back in his face. How dare he. He had no right to treat her like this. He was to be married to a Baroness. When Maria left he would still have his seven wonderful children. Didn't he have enough? Anger making her bold, Maria stepped toward the Captain and lowered her voice.

"Fire me. And then explain that to your children." She spun on her heel and reached for the door handle.

"Running away again, are we?" The Captain sneered at his governess' back.

"Whether or not I am is no concern of yours. And why do you care, anyhow? You'll be married soon enough and -"

"Because I love you!" He yelled. Maria whipped around in shock. For once in her life, Maria found herself speechless. For a moment, the two stared at each other in silence. Then, Maria took a step back and bumped into the door. The Captain opened his mouth as if to say something else. To qualify that sudden statement. Maria knew had to do something. And do something she did. She did the one thing she knew how to do very well. She ran.


	3. Chapter 3

If you're still with me - THANK YOU! I'm sorry about the grammatical errors, I was just so excited to upload my first story! I proofread this chapter so the grammar should be better. Hope you enjoy(:

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music but I borrowed lines/characters/plot points from the film, etc._

**Chapter 3**

She ran out of the office and down the hall and into her room where she slammed the door and sank to the floor in utter shock. _The Captain... loves me? I should be happy..._ and she was trying to be. Except the whole encounter had been so strange that Maria really didn't know what to make of it. _He loves me?_

A smile slowly spread across her face, then fell.

"But he's still engaged to the Baroness! And where does that leave me?" She blurted out loud. "I won't be somebody's... mistress." She could feel a blush creeping across her cheeks even as she talked to herself. "Oh, help"

True to her word, Maria did not make an appearance at dinner. Georg and the children waited in silence for a few tense minutes before he grumbled that they may begin eating, lest the food get cold.

"Father, where is Fraulein Maria?" asked Gretl.

"She's not feeling well," the Captain muttered.

"She's not leaving again, is she?" asked Brigitta.

"Eat your dinner before it gets cold" was the only response. The children looked across the table at each other in fear. A few minutes passed.

"Father?" asked Brigitta, again, "is the Baroness sick as well?"

"As a matter of fact, Brigitta, she has decided to return to Vienna."

"Are you still engaged?" demanded Louisa. Friedrich kicked her under the table.

"Mind your business!" he hissed.

"No, Louisa, we are not. We both decided it was for the best." Georg said no more on the subject. No one spoke for the rest of the meal.

"

After dinner, the children walked back upstairs to the nursery.

"Liesl, do you think Fraulein Maria will be able to stay, now that father and the Baroness aren't going to be married?" asked Brigitta.

"Oh, I hope so."

"Let's go ask her!" Marta shouted.

"Marta, I don't think we should disturb her. She's not feeling well, remember?" But Liesl's caution fell on deaf ears, because Marta was already racing down the hall to Maria's room, Gretl in tow.

"Fraulein Maria you can't leave!" Exclaimed Marta as she and Gretl burst into the room, the door slamming against the wall. Fraulein Maria jumped up from her kneeling position by the bed where she had been praying.

"Leave? I'm not leaving!" She exclaimed. The little girls raced over to hug their beloved governess.

"Not ever?" Implored Gretl, looking up at Maria.

"Well, once your father marries the Baroness you won't need me!" Maria said brightly, stroking Gretl's soft golden curls. She had to put on a happy face for the children. "You'll have a new mother! Won't that be wonderful?"

"But father isn't marrying the Baroness anymore!" said Marta.

"So you can stay forever!" said Gretl.

"Not... not marrying the Baroness?" asked Maria, quietly.

"No," said a voice from the doorway. It was Louisa, who, along with her siblings, had been watching most of the interaction.

"The Baroness went back to Vienna this afternoon," said Brigitta. She looked pointedly at Maria, who looked down at the floor. She knows. How could I even think about hiding anything from that girl.

"That is... very interesting information, Brigitta," Maria stated.

"Please don't leave us, Fräulein Maria," whispered Marta. Looking at her round little face, so completely trusting, Maria's heart nearly broke in two.

"I don't ever want to leave you, darling. I'd stay with you forever if I could."

"Why don't you?!" exclaimed Kurt, jumping up on the bed in glee.

"Well, I... I'll have to go back to the Abby at some point..." Maria trailed off weakly. It was a lame excuse. She knew it, and she could tell from the looks of the older children that they knew it as well. The real reason, of course, was that _the Captain said he loved me... and I ran away! Oh, what is the matter with me?_ Liesl, seeming to sense Maria's thought pattern, spoke up:

"Maybe you should go talk to father?" she recommended gently.

"Maybe I'll do that Liesl," the governess smiled at her charges. "Now, I believe it's time for you all to be in bed. It is to be strictly observed after all." She smiled and the children laughed. If I could be part of this family... God, I'd never ask you for anything more.

Maria put the children to bed, but no sooner had she left Liesl's room than Brigitta and Louisa slipped through the door. Liesl sat up in bed.

"I'm too excited to sleep! Do you really think Fräulein Maria will talk to father about staying past September?"

"Do you think that Fraulein Maria loves father as much as he loves her?" asked Brigitta dramatically, grabbing one of Liesl's pillows and twirling around the room. She tripped on the rug and landed across Liesl in a fit of giggles.

"What?!" Exclaimed Louisa. "Brigitta, I think you're a bit too tired."

"I am not! Come see for yourself!" Grabbing Liesl's hand, Brigitta pulled her out of bed and raced over to the window with her sisters. They crammed in front of the window, their breath fogging up the cold glass. Sure enough, a shadowy figure was making its way through the trees in the direction of the gazebo.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music but I borrowed lines/characters/plot points from the film, etc._

**Chapter 4**

"I thought I just might find you here." The Captain stood up from the stone bench, not making eye contact.

"Was there something you wanted, Fräulein?"

"Oh! No! Sit down, uh, please." He did, reluctantly, staring, dead-eyed, at a far off tree.

Maria moved slowly over to the bench and sat on the opposite end. In the awkward silence she busied herself arranging the skirt of her blue dress. Then she cleared her throat and made to speak.

"I assume you're thinking, and wondering, uh, three things." Georg didn't answer, so Maria took a deep breath and went on. "Why I ran... and why I came back. And why I ran again after -"

"Fräulein, you've already made your reasons very clear," said Georg interrupted tersely, "you had a duty to fulfil and you returned to fulfil it. There is no need for further explanation."

"I also missed the children," she said. She sounded on the verge of tears. Georg almost turned to see if she was crying, then thought better of it. _Her feelings are no concern of mine. She's already made those very clear._

"Be that as it may, Fräulein, I -"

"Not only the children," she whispered, then quickly continued in a stronger voice. "I know leaving was wrong of me, but I just thought you might... Well, nothing was the same when I was away, and it will feel all wrong again when I go, so I was wondering if I might... be allowed to stay?" The Captain stood suddenly and made his way toward the gazebo, hands folded behind his back. _The impertinence! She wants to stay, be governess to my children, meanwhile I'll... what? Be reminded every day about..._

"The children were fine before you arrived and they'll be fine once you leave. Again." The words were intended to cut deep. Had Georg turned around, he would have seen Maria visibly flinch and recoil, face burning with shame and the effort of restraining her tears. She couldn't do this. Whatever he might have said in that moment, it clearly did not hold true. _I... I have confidence in me. _Maria took a deep breath and

"Georg."

She had never said his name before, always referring to him as "Captain, sir," or once "Reverend Captain." His name felt beautiful in her mouth, smooth and warm and slightly foreign, like salted chocolate. She saw his shoulders stiffen. She quickly hurried over before he could yell at her.

"What I mean is, uh, I'm not going back to be a nun-"

"Oh, I'm sorry..." he responded automatically.

"Yes- you are?" He turned sharply to face her.

"You're not?"

"No," the word floated out on a breath which tickled Georg's face. They were toe to toe, blue eye to blue eye.

"I couldn't... follow that path when I realized I was in love with someone, could I?" Georg's face, which had been so cold and stony, finally relaxed. With a gentle smile, he shook his head, cupping Maria's chin in his palm. She looked into his eyes with baited breath, scared that one movement would shatter the beauty of that moment. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. It was a kiss very unlike the Captain's personality, soft, almost timid. He felt her lips curve under his and heard her emit a soft giggle. He pulled back and looked at her inquisitively.

"What's so funny?"

"This isn't at all like the brusque, stoic Captain I've come to know," she smiled. Georg put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her seriously, almost sadly.

"Maria, you are worth so much more than that. Truly, more than I can ever give you. But I will try every day to give you everything you deserve." Maria looked at the Captain. _Her _Captain, her Georg. She looked at him and smiled. For a smart Navy man, he could be stupid at times. _Time to teach the Captain a thing or two. _She took his face in her hands and kissed him for all she was worth. Georg responded energetically, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her to him until her toes barely touched the ground. Maria pulled back, breathless.

"Don't ever say that. I don't _want _anything else. You, the children, this life... it's perfect."

"Is that why you came back?" asked Georg.

"The Reverend Mother says you have to look for your life."

"And have you found it, Maria?"

"I think I have. I know I have." Georg pulled Maria to him and buried his face in her soft, feather-light hair.

"Maria," he murmured, "is there anyone I should go to to ask permission to marry you?" Maria looked up at him.

"Well, why don't we ask -"

"The children?" He finished for her, laughing.

"If I'm not mistaken," she smirked, "they're all still wide awake." When Georg's eyes narrowed, she hastened to qualify her statement. "I told them I was going to talk to, about staying on as their governess, that is, although I think Brigitta was getting suspicious. You know she notices _everything_."

"Well, darling," said Georg, offering Maria his arm, "shall we go calm their fears?"

"You go ahead. I'm going to stay out here for just a moment. I think I need some time to... process everything that's happened." Georg nodded understandingly, and leaned forward to kiss the top of her head before strolling back through the moonlight to the villa.

"

"Look, there's father!" Exclaimed Louisa. By this time, all seven Von Trapp children had gathered in Liesl's room (something that she was not entirely happy about), though Kurt had begun snoring from his position in the bed. The girls jostled for position in front of the window while Friedrich hung back as though he didn't care, though he, too, craned his neck to see out into the yard.

"Where's Fräulein Maria?" asked Gretl.

"Maybe father sent her back to the Abbey," suggested Friedrich. Liesl glared at him as Gretl began to cry.

"He wouldn't have done that! He loves Fraulein Maria!" yelled Brigitta.

"Brigitta, we don't know that," admonished Liesl, "the real world isn't like your books."

"I don't want Fraulein Maria to leave!" wailed Marta.

"Why is everyone yelling? Is it dinnertime?" asked Kurt groggily.

"CHILDREN!" Seven children froze in place, then seven heads slowly turned to face their angry father. "I believe," he began measuredly, carefully enunciating each word, "that bedtime has come and gone." He jerked his head toward the door, indicating that they should leave. All the children scurried out of the room, except for Liesl, who got back into bed.

"Father," she called as he turned to exit, "is Fraulein Maria going to stay? Will we have another governess?" Georg paused in the doorway and rubbed his temples. This was a conversation he needed to have with all his children and Maria together.

"Liesl, it's very late. We'll discuss this in the morning." And he shut the door.

Liesl lay in the dark. She didn't want Fraulein Maria to leave. She was _like our mother_ Liesl thought suddenly. She was surprised at herself, but realized it was true. _I've already lost one mother, Fraulein Maria can't leave too._ And for the first time since her mother died, Liesl cried herself to sleep.

"

A/N: My formatting is a little weird because I can't figure out how to make larger paragraph breaks... that's all!


	5. Chapter 5

Last chapter! This has been so fun and thank you all for the lovely reviews :)

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Sound of Music but I borrowed lines/characters/plot points from the film, etc._

**Chapter 5**

The breakfast table sat in anticipation the next morning; nine plates sat tensely by nine napkins lain rigidly under nine forks and nine spoons. Georg had just taken his place at the head of the table when Maria breezed into the room. She placed a light kiss on her fiance's head before taking stock of the room's lack of inhabitants.

"I'm guessing there are no surprises waiting in my chair this morning?" Georg grunted his agreement.

"The children appear to be attempting to avoid the inevitable." At this, Maria's face fell.

"Do they not want -"

"Oh, no! No, no, no! Not about you, darling, well, somewhat about you. That is, I believe the children are worried that I might have sent you away."

"And you didn't think to explain this to them last night?!" Maria exclaimed.

"I wanted you to be there! It's an important announcement, I just thought -" Georg's explanation was interrupted by a squeal from the hallway as two girls raced through the door and practically knocked Maria down.

"Fräulein Maria! You're still here!" It was Marta.

"Father, Fräulein Maria is staying, isn't she?" Asked Brigitta seriously.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Where are the others?"

"We're here, father," said Louisa quietly as she took her seat, closely followed by a melancholy looking Friedrich and Gretl, an unusually quiet Kurt, and Liesl, whose eyes were still red.

"I'm sorry we're late for breakfast, father," said Friedrich. Georg looked around at his children, the last time they had looked this crestfallen was the day Maria had left them. He cleared his throat and attempted a smile, hoping to put them at ease. The children only stared blankly. _Is Fräulein Maria truly leaving? _though Brigitta. _How could I have been so wrong? _Next to her, Gretl began to sniffle.

"Now, children. As you may have ascertained, Fräulein Maria is not going to be your governess anymore." This statement was met with a chorus of "Oh, no, father!"s and "Please don't send Fräulein Maria away!" Georg held up a hand to silence them.

"No one is being sent away! How would you feel about Fräulein Maria being... your new mother?" Georg tugged at his collar nervously and looked across the table at Maria whose eyes were wide in anticipation.

"Our... new mother?" Asked Liesl hopefully.

"Yes, well I've, uh, asked her marry me, you see, and -"

"What'd she say?!" Yelled Brigitta, throwing herself across the table and landing her elbow in the butter.

"Why don't you ask her?" suggested Georg, who was at this point exasperated by the overwhelming morning exuberance and slightly embarrassed by the amount of attention. Seven children whipped their heads around to look pleadingly at Maria. She glanced down, a pale blush coloring her face.

"I said yes," she smiled. Almost simultaneously, seven chairs were pushed back and knocked to the ground as the children jumped on Maria, all vying to hug her.

"I told you so!" yelled Brigitta from under the crush of bodies. Maria craned her neck to see past the children on top of her. Her eyes met those of Georg across the table. He smiled, and nodded his head toward a small velvet box sitting next to his plate. Maria released a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding, though she'd come to realize she'd been holding her breath for a while, ever a retired sea captain blew a whistle and seven uniformed children marched down the stairs. Maria was sitting with her fiance at the breakfast table in the Von Trapp villa and she was being hugged by her seven future children and no moment had ever felt so perfectly aligned. God had opened a window, and through it she could see nothing but an endless blue sky.

**The End**


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